Some of Heinlein’s novels are classics in the science fiction genre… this isn’t one of them.

I was expecting it to be dated – but not so ridiculous. Perhaps it gets better, but I could not force myself to keep reading – the dialogue reminded me of Regina’s Song by David Eddings (and that is not a good thing).( )

I read this when I was quite young so any offensiveness went right over my head. I just loved it because it was a science fiction adventure story with a girl as the hero, a rarity in its time if not in mine. ( )

I read this when I was quite young so any offensiveness went right over my head. I just loved it because it was a science fiction adventure story with a girl as the hero, a rarity in its time if not in mine. ( )

So this was a bit ridiculous. I listened to all five discs rather quickly, as it started out as a fun space story. Then suddenly I was on disc four and thinking to myself, "Sooo, nothing much has happened yet." This book is about creating a world, setting the stage for what could be a cool story about a future female space pilot and then having the main character talk herself out of her ambitions because childbirth and mothering are the most important aspirations for women in the world and blahbitty blah blah blah. Thanks, Robert A. Heinlein, I definitely needed the reminder of how women should act. In case you're reading this review and wondering what kinds of awesome tidbits the main character shares in her journal, they are statements about hiding your intelligence from men, never letting a man see that you are better at anything than he is, and accepting that you should never have aspirations that will hinder your ability to find a man and reproduce for the good of the universe.

This book hints at so many possible plotlines and they go nowhere. The actual plot/action doesn't even start to occur until at least halfway through, probably further. Heinlein hints at a possible romance; it goes nowhere. He describes a lot of planets and governmental structures; it's all irrelevant. He spends the first half of the book on a space journey; it has very little bearing on the overall plot. The book ends more abruptly than any I've ever read. Honestly, this felt like the first part in a serialized story. (Ha! I just looked it up on Wikipedia and the book itself started out as a serialized story.)

Emily Janice Card did a good job voicing the teenage protagonist and her 11-year old genius brother. The side characters, including one or two with southern accents, were distinguishable, which isn't always the case in audiobooks. I do enjoy her narrations but unfortunately, I always keep thinking about her father's politics and it takes me away from the story she's reading. I know this isn't the case for everyone but it IS the case for me, even if she doesn't share the same beliefs. (I don't know one way or the other)

Skip this one unless you're a writer who is looking for a world that was created and then just disregarded. There are lots of ideas to be had here! ( )

As I've noted elsewhere, [b:Podkayne of Mars|50839|Podkayne of Mars|Robert A. Heinlein|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309211249s/50839.jpg|2534895] is "where Heinlein first develops the annoying faux-female narrator voice so jarring in [b:Farnham's Freehold|50840|Farnham's Freehold|Robert A. Heinlein|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170371993s/50840.jpg|2942974]." For this reason, Podkayne is my least favorite of this set. However, I like the world-building, and I like the unresolved ending. ( )

While accompanying their uncle, a wily politician, on a trip from Mars to Earth, Podkayne and her brilliant but pesky younger brother are caught up in a plot to keep Uncle Tom from an important conference.